Sponsorship Eligiblity | Can I sposor my spouse and children even if I'm outside Canada?

Here's an interesting question from one of my blog readers - Can I sponsor my spouse and dependent children even if I'm outside Canada?

The answer depends whether you are a Canadian Citizen or just a Permanent Resident and the reason why you are outside Canada.Here are the conditions for you to be eligible to become a sponsor from http://cic.gc.ca:

the person you want to sponsor is a member of the family class; Note: If that person is not a member of the family class, you will not meet sponsorship requirements and, therefore, your application to sponsor will not be approved and the application for permanent residence of the person you want to sponsor will be refused, unless you decide to withdraw your sponsorship application. If you withdraw the sponsorship, you will have no appeal rights.

you are 18 years of age or older;

you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident;

you reside in Canada;

Canadian citizens not residing in Canada may sponsor their spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner and/or dependent children who have no dependent children of their own. Canadians travelling abroad as tourists are not considered to be residing outside Canada.

Sponsors not residing in Canada must provide evidence that they reside exclusively outside Canada on the date of giving the undertaking and will reside in Canada at the time their sponsored spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner and/or children become permanent residents of Canada. Evidence that they will reside in Canada may include one or more of the following:

letter from an employer;

letter of acceptance to a Canadian educational institution;

proof of having rented/bought a dwelling in Canada;

reasonable plans for re-establishing in Canada or severing ties to the other country.

you sign an undertaking promising to provide for the basic requirements of the person being sponsored and, if applicable, his or her family members;

you and the person being sponsored sign an agreement that confirms that each of you understands your mutual obligations and responsibilities;

you have an income that is at least equal to the minimum necessary income, the amount of which is published yearly by the Canadian government. You will have to provide us with documents that show your financial resources for the past 12 months and prove you are financially able to sponsor members of the family class. You may solicit the help of a co-signer (must be your spouse or common-law partner). If you reside in Quebec, see also Sponsors living in Quebec.

This condition does not apply if you are sponsoring only

your spouse, common-law or conjugal partner who has no dependent children, or

your spouse, common-law or conjugal partner whose dependent children have no children of their own, or

your dependent child who has no children of his or her own.

If you are permanent resident in Canada but is currently in the Philippines just for a vacation, you are not considered residing outside Canada.